Erode: Residents of Kothamangalam village in Erode district intercepted four trucks carrying illegally mined sand from the Bhavani River on Sunday. Subsequently, they staged a protest demanding officials to prevent smuggling.
The smugglers were transporting sand under the guise of silt from Bhavanisagar dam. According to the villagers, farmers were allowed to take silt from the reservoir bed for free by the state government. Accordingly, scores of trucks were taking silt from the dam.
Meanwhile, villagers came to know that a few men were scooping sand from the point where the river drains into the dam. Following this, they gathered on a road, stopped the trucks and found that they were carrying sand. They discovered that the truck drivers did not have necessary permits to take neither sand nor silt.
The villagers withdrew the protest after revenue officials reached the spot and promised to take action against the smugglers. tnn